Taking an econobox 3 or 5 door hatchback, popping in a high output motor mated to a manual transmission and a taut tuned suspension was a recipe for fun. It’s been many years since the Toyota built great hot hatches like the Corolla FX-16 and the Corolla RunX. With Toyota’s rich motorsports heritage, it is possible for Toyota to have fun-to-drive, desirable cars again.
TMG (Toyota Motorsport GmbH), Toyota’s European tuning house was responsible for Toyota GT-One, sports car racer and the Toyota Formula 1 team. Last year, TMG re-entered sports car racing with the Toyota TS030 the first race car entered into the FIA WEC with Hybrid technology. Being a pioneer in Hybrid tech, TMG has taken Toyota Hybrid to a new level incorporating their motorsports expertise into hot hatch form. The Toyota Yaris Hybrid R Concept is the Toyota hot hatch we’ve been waiting for and it debuts at the 2013 Frankfurt Motorshow today.
The Yaris Hybrid R Concept features trickle down tech from the TS030 Hybrid race car. A 300hp 1.6L Turbocharged (Turbo Garett GTR2560R ) 4 cylinder GRE (Global Racing Engine) powers the front wheels and two 60 hp electric motors powering each of the rear wheels which equates to a max output of 420hp. That’s more than the Lexus IS F! Like the TS030 racer, KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) will power up a super capacitor which resides in the rear seat. A third electric motor will help modulate traction to rear wheels during acceleration and harness power into the super capacitor during deceleration.A six speed sequential transmission is mated to the petrol motor.
On the inside, two-tone Recaro seats are clad with black leather and blue Alcantara surfaces. The dash and door panels will also have complimenting blue Alcantara trim. The sport steering wheel also clad in Alcantara and will feature a two mode drive selector button for “Road” and “Track” modes. A set of brushed aluminum sport pedals are borrowed from the GT 86 sports car.
On the outside, this concept may look like an ordinary 3-door Yaris. But if you look closely, this hatchback is a lot more prominent than the norm. An aggressive front fascia with a larger grille and blacked out headlamps and two large air intakes with blue LED running lamps accented by blue striping to match the Toyota Hybrid theme. The flared wheel housings are filled with special 18″ TRD wheels wrapped in sticky 225/40 R18 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires. Six piston fronts and four piston rear brakes help stop this hot hatch. A rear roof spoiler and rear bumper diffuser help streamline airflow.
Although just a concept for now, we hope Toyota will bring this Yaris Hybrid R Concept to production in the near future. Even if the Yaris Hybrid R doesn’t make it to production, at least bring the motorsports driven GRE tech to future Toyota and Lexus sports vehicles. How does Supra Hybrid R sound?
Check out the Toyota Yaris Hybrid Concept video:
Key TMG Global Race Engine Specifications
Engine Size: 1595 cm3
Fuel System Type: Direct Injection (up to 200 bar)
Air System Type: Turbo Garett GTR2560R (max boost pressure : 2.5 bar)
Air restrictor: 33 mm
Max. Power: + de 300 ch at 6000 rpm
Max. Torque : 420 Nm
Max. RPM : 7500 rpm
Source: [Toyota Europe]
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